Thursday, June 21, 2012

Indigenous delivered Kari-Oca Declaration to United Nations

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Photo Ben Powless, Mohawk, IEN

.Military halts hundreds as Indigenous deliver Kari-Oca II Declaration to Rio+20http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/06/indigenous-delivered-kari-oca.htmlArticle by Brenda NorrellPhotos by Ben Powlessbrendanorrell@gmail.comPhotos by Ben Powless, Mohawk, IEN
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Indigenous Peoples delivered the Kari-Oca II Declaration for the protection of Mother Earth to leaders at Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainability, after the military halted hundreds of Indigenous Peoples from entering the area.
﻿﻿The Indigenous delegation delivering the Declaration today included members of the Indigenous Environmental Network and Lakota Chief Arvol Looking Horse, 19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe.
The Kari-Oca II Declaration was presented to Director of the Division for Sustainable Development Nikhil Seth, and Gilberto Carvalho, the Chief Minister to the Presidency of Brazil.
As world leaders seek to profiteer from nature at the summit, Indigenous Peoples, barred by the military from attending, are holding their own encampment at the Kari Oca II and produced the Kari-Oca II Declaration for the protection of Mother Earth. Indigenous are demanding a halt to the false carbon market schemes which allow the world's worst polluters to continue polluting and profiteering from nature.Kandi Mossett, Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara from North Dakota, was in the delegation of the Indigenous Environmental Network. Mossett said only a small group of Indigenous were allowed past the military to deliver the Declaration.
﻿﻿Mossett said 500 Indigenous were halted by the military from entering the area. "We can not commodify the sacred and expect a good outcome," said Mossett, whose homeland in North Dakota has been devastated by oil and gas drilling. Mossett said during this age of capitalism, Mother Earth has been assaulted. She said the Kari Oca Declaration confirms that Indigenous have the answers to climate change and how to halt the devastation.
﻿﻿The Declaration of Kari-Oca II states, “We, Indigenous Peoples from all regions of the world have defended our Mother Earth from the aggression of unsustainable development and the over exploitation of our natural resources by mining, logging, mega-dams, exploration and extraction of petroleum. Our forests suffer from the production of agro-fuels, bio-mass, plantations and other impositions of false solutions to climate change and unsustainable, damaging development.”
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“INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON RIO+20
AND MOTHER EARTH”

We, the Indigenous
Peoples of Mother Earth assembled at the site of Kari-Oka I, sacred Kari-Oka
Púku, Rio de Janeiro to participate in the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development Rio+20, thank the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil for
welcoming us to their territories. We reaffirm our responsibility to speak for
the protection and enhancement of the well-being of Mother Earth, nature and
future generations of our Indigenous Peoples and all humanity and life. We
recognize the significance of this second convening of Indigenous Peoples of the
world and reaffirm the historic 1992 meeting of the Kari-Oca I, where Indigenous
Peoples issued The Kari-Oca Declaration and the Indigenous Peoples Earth
Charter. The Kari-Oca conference, and the mobilization of Indigenous Peoples
around the first UN Earth Summit, marked a big step forward for an international
movement for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and the important role that Indigenous
Peoples play in conservation and sustainable development. We also reaffirm the
Manaus Declaration on the convening of Kari-Oca 2 as the international gathering
of Indigenous Peoples for Rio+20.

Rio+20 Photo Ben Powless, Mohawk, IEN

The institutionalization of
Colonialism
We see the goals of UNCSD Rio+20, the “Green Economy”
and its premise that the world can only “save” nature by commodifying its life
giving and life sustaining capacities as a continuation of the colonialism that
Indigenous Peoples and our Mother Earth have faced and resisted for 520 years.
The “Green Economy” promises to eradicate poverty but in fact will only favor
and respond to multinational enterprises and capitalism. It is a continuation of
a global economy based upon fossil fuels, the destruction of the environment by
exploiting nature through extractive industries such as mining, oil exploration
and production, intensive mono-culture agriculture, and other capitalist
investments. All of these efforts are directed toward profit and the
accumulation of capital by the few.
Since Rio 1992, we as Indigenous Peoples
see that colonization has become the very basis of the globalization of trade
and the dominant capitalist global economy. The exploitation and plunder of the
world’s ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as the violations of the inherent
rights of Indigenous Peoples that depend on them, have intensified. Our rights
to self determination, to our own governance and own self-determined
development, our inherent rights to our lands, territories and resources are
increasingly and alarmingly under attack by the collaboration of governments and
transnational corporations. Indigenous activists and leaders defending their
territories continue to suffer repression, militarization, including
assassination, imprisonment, harassment and vilification as “terrorists.” The
violation of our collective rights faces the same impunity. Forced relocation or
assimilation assault our future generations, cultures, languages, spiritual ways
and relationship to the earth, economically and politically.
We, Indigenous
Peoples from all regions of the world have defended our Mother Earth from the
aggression of unsustainable development and the over exploitation of our natural
resources by mining, logging, mega-dams, exploration and extraction of
petroleum. Our forests suffer from the production of agro-fuels, bio-mass,
plantations and other impositions of false solutions to climate change and
unsustainable, damaging development.
The Green Economy is nothing more than
capitalism of nature; a perverse attempt by corporations, extractive industries
and governments to cash in on Creation by privatizing, commodifying, and selling
off the Sacred and all forms of life and the sky, including the air we breathe,
the water we drink and all the genes, plants, traditional seeds, trees, animals,
fish, biological and cultural diversity, ecosystems and traditional knowledge
that make life on Earth possible and enjoyable.
Gross violations of
Indigenous Peoples’ rights to food sovereignty continue unabated thus resulting
to food “insecurity”. Our own food production, the plants that we gather, the
animals that we hunt, our fields and harvests, the water that we drink and water
our fields, the fish that we catch from our rivers and streams, is diminishing
at an alarming rate. Unsustainable development projects, such as mono-cultural
chemically intensive soya plantations, extractive industries such as mining and
other environmentally destructive projects and investments for profit are
destroying our biodiversity, poisoning our water, our rivers, streams, and the
earth and its ability to maintain life. This is further aggravated by Climate
change and hydroelectric dams and other energy production that affect entire
ecosystems and their ability to provide for life.
Food sovereignty is one
fundamental expression of our collective right to self-determination and
sustainable development. Food sovereignty and the right to food must be observed
and respected; food must not be a commodity to be used, traded and speculated on
for profit. It nourishes our identities, our cultures and languages, and our
ability to survive as Indigenous Peoples.
Mother Earth is the source of life
which needs to be protected, not a resource to be exploited and commodified as a
‘natural capital.’ We have our place and our responsibilities within Creation’s
sacred order. We feel the sustaining joy as things occur in harmony with the
Earth and with all life that it creates and sustains. We feel the pain of
disharmony when we witness the dishonor of the natural order of Creation and the
continued economic colonization and degradation of Mother Earth and all life
upon her. Until Indigenous Peoples rights are observed and respected,
sustainable development and the eradication of poverty will not be
achieved.

Rio+20 Photo Ben Powlesss, Mohawk, IEN

.The Solution
This inseparable relationship
between humans and the Earth, inherent to Indigenous, Peoples must be respected
for the sake of our future generations and all of humanity. We urge all humanity
to join with us in transforming the social structures, institutions and power
relations that underpin our deprivation, oppression and exploitation.
Imperialist globalization exploits all that sustains life and damages the Earth.
We need to fundamentally reorient production and consumption based on human
needs rather than for the boundless accumulation of profit for a few. Society
must take collective control of productive resources to meet the needs of
sustainable social development and avoid overproduction, over consumption and
over exploitation of people and nature which are inevitable under the prevailing
monopoly capitalist system. We must focus on sustainable communities based on
indigenous knowledge, not on capitalist development.
We demand that the
United Nations, governments and corporations abandon false solutions to climate
change, like large hydroelectric dams, genetically modified organisms including
GMO trees, plantations, agro-fuels, “clean” coal, nuclear power, natural gas,
hydraulic fracturing, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, bio-energy, biomass,
biochar, geo-engineering, carbon markets, Clean Development Mechanism and REDD+
that endanger the future and life as we know it. Instead of helping to reduce
global warming, they poison and destroy the environment and let the climate
crisis spiral exponentially, which may render the planet almost
uninhabitable.
We cannot allow false solutions to destroy the Earth’s
balance, assassinate the seasons, unleash severe weather havoc, privatize life
and threaten the very survival of humanity. The Green Economy is a crime against
humanity and the Earth. In order to achieve sustainable development, states must
recognize the traditional systems of resource management of the Indigenous
Peoples that have existed for the millennia, sustaining us even in the face of
colonialism. Assuring Indigenous Peoples’ active participation in decision
making processes affecting them, and their right of Free Prior and Informed
Consent is fundamental. States should likewise provide support for Indigenous
Peoples appropriate to their sustainability and self determined priorities
without restrictions and constricting guidelines.
Indigenous youth and
women’s active participation must also be given importance as they are among the
most affected by the negative impacts brought by the commodification of nature.
As inheritors of Mother Earth, the youth play a vital role in continuing
defending what is left of their natural resources that were valiantly fought for
by their ancestors. Their actions and decisions amidst the commercialization of
their resources and culture will determine the future of their younger brothers
and sisters and the generations to come.
We will continue to struggle against
the construction of hydroelectric dams and all other forms of energy production
that affect our waters, our fish, our biodiversity and ecosystems that
contribute to our food sovereignty. We will work to preserve our territories
from the poison of monoculture plantations, extractive industries and other
environmentally destructive projects and continue our ways of life, preserving
our cultures and identities. We will work to preserve our traditional plants and
seeds, and maintain the balance between our needs and the needs of our Mother
Earth and her life sustaining capacity. We will demonstrate to the world that it
can and must be done. In all matters we will gather and organize the solidarity
of all Indigenous Peoples from all parts of the world, and all other sources of
solidarity with non-indigenous of good will to join our struggle for food
sovereignty and food security. We reject the privatization and corporate control
of resources such as our traditional seeds and food. Finally, we demand the
states to uphold our rights to the control of our traditional management systems
and by providing concrete support such as appropriate technologies for us to
develop our food sovereignty.
We reject the false promises of sustainable
development and solutions to climate change that only serve the dominant
economic order. We reject REDD, REDD+ and other market-based solutions that
focus on our forests, to continue the violation of our inherent rights to self
determination and right to our lands, territories, waters, and natural
resources, and the Earth’s right to create and sustain life. There is no such
thing as “sustainable mining.” There is no such thing as “ethical oil.”
We
reject the assertion of intellectual property rights over the genetic resources
and traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples which results in the alienation
and commodification of Sacred essential to our lives and cultures. We reject
industrial modes of food production that promote the use of chemical substances,
genetically engineered seeds and organisms. Therefore, we affirm our right to
possess, control, protect and pass on the indigenous seeds, medicinal plants and
traditional knowledge originating from our lands and territories for the benefit
of our future generations.

.The Future We Want
In the
absence of a true implementation of sustainable development, the world is now in
a multiple ecological, economic and climatic crisis; including biodiversity
loss, desertification, deglaciation, food, water, energy shortage, a worsening
global economic recession, social instability and crisis of values. In this
sense, we recognize that much remains to be done by international agreements to
respond adequately to the rights and needs of Indigenous Peoples. The actual
contributions and potentials of our peoples must be recognized by a true
sustainable development for our communities that allows each one of us to Live
Well.
As peoples, we reaffirm our rights to self-determination and to own,
control and manage our traditional lands and territories, waters and other
resources. Our lands and territories are at the core of our existence – we are
the land and the land is us; we have a distinct spiritual and material
relationship with our lands and territories and they are inextricably linked to
our survival and to the preservation and further development of our knowledge
systems and cultures, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and
ecosystem management.
We will exercise the right to determine and establish
priorities and strategies for our self-development and for the use of our lands,
territories and other resources. We demand that free, prior and informed consent
must be the determinant and legally binding principle of approving or rejecting
any plan, project or activity affecting our lands, territories and other
resources. Without the right of Free Prior and Informed Consent, the colonialist
model of the domination of the Earth and its resources will continue with the
same impunity.
We will continue to unite as Indigenous Peoples and build a
strong solidarity and partnership among ourselves, local communities and
non-indigenous genuine advocates of our issues. This solidarity will advance the
global campaign for Indigenous Peoples rights to land, life and resources and in
the achievement of our self-determination and liberation. We will continue to
challenge and resist colonialist and capitalist development models that promote
the domination of nature, incessant economic growth, limitless profit-seeking
resource extraction, unsustainable consumption and production and the
unregulated commodities and financial markets. Humans are an integral part of
the natural world and all human rights, including Indigenous Peoples’ rights,
which must be respected and observed by development.
We invite all of civil
society to protect and promote our rights and worldviews and respect natural
law, our spiritualities and cultures and our values of reciprocity, harmony with
nature, solidarity, and collectivity. Caring and sharing, among other values,
are crucial in bringing about a more just, equitable and sustainable world. In
this context, we call for the inclusion of cultureas the fourth pillar of
sustainable development.
The legal recognition and protection of the rights
of Indigenous Peoples to land, territories, resources and traditional knowledge
should be a prerequisite for development and planning for any and all types of
adaptation and mitigation to climate change, environmental conservation
(including the creation of “protected areas”), the sustainable use of
biodiversity and measures to combat desertification. In all instances there must
be free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples.
We continue to
pursue the commitments made at Earth Summit as reflected in this political
declaration. We call on the UN to begin their implementation, and to ensure the
full, formal and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in all processes
and activities of the Rio+20 Conference and beyond, in accordance with the
United Nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the
principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
We continue to inhabit
and maintain the last remaining sustainable ecosystems and biodiversity hotspots
in the world. We can contribute substantially to sustainable development but we
believe that a holistic ecosystem framework for sustainable development should
be promoted. This includes the integration of the human-rights based approach,
ecosystem approach and culturally sensitive and knowledge-based
approaches.
We declare our solidarity and support for the demands and
aspirations of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil found in the Annex to this
Declaration.
We Walk in the Footsteps of our Ancestors.
Accepted by
Acclamation, Kari-Oka Village, at Sacred Kari-Oka Púku, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
17 June 2012.Click here to Download the KARI-OCA 2 DECLARATION
(PDF-ENG)Haga clic aquí para descargar el STATEMENT OF KARI-OCA 2 “WORLD
CONFERENCE ON THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF RIO 20 AND MOTHER EARTH”
(PDF-ESP)Clique aqui para fazer o Download da KARI-OCA 2 DECLARAÇÃO “POVOS
INDÍGENAS CONFERÊNCIA GLOBAL SOBRE RIO+20 E MÃE TERRA” (PDF-PORTUGUESE)

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